


Those By His Side

by theartificialluci



Category: Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Part Two of Those By Their Side, Team TARDIS, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28366269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theartificialluci/pseuds/theartificialluci
Summary: A series of one-shots featuring various Doctors and their companions, as they experience the dark, the painful and the frightening.TARDIS Team bonding with help from hurt/comfort stories across the universe.
Kudos: 8





	1. Clara Oswald (Whouffle): Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feeling guilty that Clara subconsciously hates Christmas, the Doctor takes her to a planet to find some Christmas spirit. It doesn't take long before the planet becomes as dangerous as Victorian London when Clara is taken prisoner with one rule: stay awake.

Stubborn was as much a part of her as was the brunette hairs on her head and the shortness of her body. It wasn’t something she prided herself on, however, it did mean she always got what she wanted. She didn’t have time to decide whether or not that was a good or bad thing. Well, she did, but she didn’t like to dwell on it. It was therefore no surprise that when her visitors had told her that they loathed her back of Christmas spirit, she refused to do anything to change her attitude. Christmas, to Clara Oswald, was a time for family, which she loved. It was everything else she’d never been fond of. The decorations were pointless since she was only living alone, she was too old to get presents that weren’t socks or candles and the tens of dates her friends try to set her up on only end in disaster. 

Whenever she repeated this to her friends or family, they’d think she was the Grinch. None of their words or disdain could even compare to the Doctor’s own when he’d first landed in her apartment. He’d already been mid-sentence when he’d walked through the TARDIS doors, he often expected Clara to know what he was talking about but stopped abruptly when he’d seen his surroundings. 

“Hey, Doctor-”

“Oh,” he said, a hand in his light-brown hair, “I’m sorry Clara, I really thought I had the right date this time. I was supposed to be here on Christmas Eve. Well, you enjoy whatever adventure you’re meant to have next, don’t tell me about it, though!” 

“Doctor,” Clara said with a frown, “it is Christmas Eve.” 

“It can’t be. It’s…so dark.” 

“It’s the middle of the day, what are you on about?” 

The Doctor waved his hands around, exasperated, “Not outside! There’s no lights, or stars, or lit-fire-places, or baubles, or-”

“Okay, I get it. I just…didn’t see the point in decorating this year. No one’s coming over and I don’t need them for myself, do I?” 

“I decorate the TARDIS even when you’re not there. And Time Lords don’t even celebrate Christmas,” argued the Doctor. 

The Doctor’s eyes were still darting around the room, as if expecting to find a Christmas tree hidden in the corner of the living room. Clara watched as they eventually stopped flickering around and rested on the floor, finally giving up. 

“You don’t like Christmas?” he asked as if he were trying desperately to mask the disappointment in his tone. 

“It’s not that I don’t like it,” argued Clara, “I’ll still see my family and buy them presents…I just don’t need to decorate when I’m the only one here. I’m sorry, I didn’t know you’d get so defensive about it. Next Christmas, I’ll buy some tinsel or something for you.” 

The Doctor stuttered into his speech, “Clara, this has nothing to do with me! It’s about you not having a good Christmas. Only people who are preparing to have a bad Christmas don’t decorate.”

Clara smiled sadly, “Maybe next year, then?” 

“I wondered why you wanted to go somewhere today,” mused the Doctor, “usually you lot take today off.” 

“I just…wanted to get away.” 

“You know,” said the Doctor, “there’s a planet called Hiran that celebrates a holiday like Christmas. In their legends, the leaders of the planet are chosen once a year. The planet’s ancestors come back to the realm of the living to give gifts to the chosen one. They have this tradition where everyone stays up all night to welcome in the new royalty. They say if even one person sleeps, the leader will be corrupt. They decorate the planet with bright lights to help everyone stay awake.” 

Clara groaned, “Can’t we go somewhere without any festivities? I just want to forget about Christmas.” 

The Doctor waved his hand accusingly, “See! I knew you had something against Christmas! Spill!” 

When Clara shrugged, she saw that the Doctor was very clearly not taking no for an answer. She did feel bad that she was dragging down his good mood. She didn’t do it often, since normally she was just excited to be with him, but Christmas was an exception.

“There’s just always something…melancholy about it. Every time I think of Christmas, I just think of sad things.” 

“I’m not surprised,” said the Doctor. 

His answer worried her. She was more suspicious when his eyes widened like he’d said something he wasn’t supposed to. He looked nervous as he fidgeted on the spot. 

“What makes you say that?” 

“It doesn’t matter. Now, how about Hiran? We don’t have to stay long; we could just have a peak.” 

Clara knew she was defeated, “Sure, if it’ll make you happy.” 

The Doctor was ecstatic, “Merry Christmas, Clara Oswald!” 

He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the TARDIS. She couldn’t help but laugh as she watched him close the doors behind them and dance around the console room. He’d already had the coordinates set, knowing she’d say yes, so the TARDIS was in the air before Clara even really knew what was happening. 

“I promise you’ll like it,” the Doctor shouted over the engines. 

“I better.” 

The TARDIS quietened down. 

“You humans are getting harder and harder to please. I should be able to take you to your local fish and chip shop in a time machine and you should be amazed,” tutted the Doctor. 

Clara patted him on the shoulder, “Let’s try that when we get home. I don’t have any food in the house.” 

The Doctor rolled his eyes but grinned, “Good to see you smiling again! Now, why don’t you open up those doors and I’ll tell you more about where we are.” 

“Hang on,” she laughed, “let me grab a coat first.” 

“You don’t need a coat! There’s so many lights tonight that it keeps the planet pretty warm. Imagine a winter’s day with a lot of sunshine. Your jumper will be fine and if you get cold you can just have mine!” said the Doctor, doing a spin in his tweed jacket. 

Clara shrugged, trusting him, and reached for the TARDIS doors. Once open, she found that he was right. She hadn’t been confronted by the cold chill she’d been expecting. She found that they were on a slight hill of green grass. They were definitely in a field, one that could’ve easily been Earth. There was a town not far from them, all lit up with an unbelievable amount of light. 

“God, that’s bright.” 

The Doctor bounced up to her, “The planet is actually very similar to Earth. You’ll find the people look human too. They’re not, really, just followed the same sort of evolutionary process.” 

“So, what are we here to see?” 

“Clara! Where’s your sense of adventure! We’re here to see the Light Day festivities. It’s all very bright and colourful and exciting.” 

“Alright, alright. Let’s go investigate.” 

“That’s better!” 

They stepped out of the TARDIS. Even fully vulnerable to the weather, Clara found she was warm. It felt similar to being sat by a campfire. There was a slight chill, but you wouldn’t notice it. Still, her mood had been lifted slightly so she hung onto the Doctor’s arm, half listening to him talk about the planet they were stood on.

“…They don’t allow visitors here, by the way, so we have to stay low. Well, they do, just not on Light Day. It’s a sacred day for them. Besides, their planet is exceptionally small.” 

“I’m glad they don’t have snow here, I hate snow,” Clara interrupted him, looking at the grass below their feet as they walked. 

The Doctor wrinkled his nose, “I’m not a fan of it either. Bad things happen in the snow. Anyway, even if they had snow today, it would all melt away under the lights. It’s not like Christmas, they go mad here. Like, so many lights.” 

Clara frowned, her head leaning against his arm, “I thought someone like you would enjoy snow.” 

“Oi, what does that mean?” 

“I don’t know…someone bubbly?” 

The Doctor’s expression changed, “I guess I am quite bubbly, aren’t I? Oh, look! You know how you have Christmas markets? There’s spans across all the towns, joining together to create one huge event! You can see it from here. Well, I can, you’re probably too short.” 

Clara rolled her eyes, “Even I can see that Doctor.” 

The market was lit up as bright as a fair-ground or circus. Even though the stalls were still in the distance, it shone more than the stars in the sky. Clara grinned. 

“It’s beautiful!” 

The Doctor untangled their arms and grabbed her hand, “See, I knew you’d like it.” 

Clara blushed and kept her eyes on the stalls until they grew closer and closer. The field came to its end and the travellers came to a gate. Fairy lights of all different colours had been weaved through the wooden gate. The Doctor pushed it gently to avoid upsetting the decorations. 

Their surroundings were surprisingly English. The houses looked like they were from the Cotswolds and the ground was all cobbled stone. Stalls made from various materials lined the street; some made of wood and others metal tables. Each one had different coloured, sometimes flashing, bright lights. Clara’s eyes didn’t adjust very well so she couldn’t tell what each stall was selling, but she could smell spices and candles in the air. 

“It’s…a bit much, don’t you think?” Clara grumbled.  
“You’re just not used to it because your house is so dark,” countered the Doctor. 

“You make me sound like a spinster.” 

“Would you feel better if I found you some sunglasses? There’s a guy over there selling some, I think. I could even get us some hot chocolate on the way back, you’d like that right?” 

Clara knew by now it was easier to humour him, “Sure, that sounds nice.” 

The Doctor smiled and squeezed her hand, “I’m gonna go find him. You find a nice candle or something, anything, festive. I won’t let you leave until you get the Christmas spirit back.” 

Clara nodded and waved him off. She turned her back on him and began to make her way to each stall. The stall holders looked human so they didn’t question Clara’s appearance there. They were all nice to her when she asked about their creations. It wasn’t long before she found a young couple selling beautiful candles in every colour and shape imaginable. Clara picked up a star-shaped one, nearly gasping when she smelled it. It, somehow, smelled exactly like excitement on Christmas morning. Now Clara was finally starting to enjoy herself. 

“That’s one of our more popular ones,” smiled the female stall holder, “they’re on sale at the moment though, in spirit of Light Day.” 

“How much are they?” 

“100 hollies love.” 

“Ah,” said Clara, remembering she only had pounds in her pocket, “my friend has my money. I’ll go and find him.” 

“No worries. Happy Light Day!” 

Clara turned away and began to walk the direction that the Doctor disappeared in. When she reached the stalls that looked like they held food and beverages, she found unsurprisingly that the Doctor was no-where to be found. 

“God, every time! Just once I want to find him where he said he’d be!” Clara swore. 

In her annoyance, she’d bumped into a small boy who’d been standing in front of her. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” she cried, putting her hands out instinctively to comfort him. He just looked at her. 

The cup in his hand drew Clara’s attention more than anything else. Her eyes widened in alarm when she realised the drink smelled like incredibly strong coffee. She tried to catch a glimpse of what was in his cup. It was definitely for him since he’d been sipping at it since Clara had noticed him. 

“Happy Light Day,” the child said shyly when he’d noticed Clara staring rather obviously at him. 

“What’ve you got there?” Clara asked, looking down to the cup in the child’s hand. 

The child looked at Clara as if he knew she was from another planet, “Tine seeds, Miss. You can get some from the stall in front of you.” 

“It smells like coffee. What’s in it?” 

“It’s made from caffeine seeds. What’s coffee?” 

Clara turned to the stall holder, “Sorry, isn’t he a little young to be having caffeine?” 

The stall holder, a sweet-looking elderly lady, scoffed, “What do you wean your babies with then, dear? Milk doesn’t keep them awake now, does it?” 

“Why would you want to keep your babies awake?” argued Clara. 

The stall holder laughed, “You must be one of those sleep activists. Listen sweetheart, between you and me, you can’t be spreading your propaganda so close to Light Day. Especially not in front of the kiddies. You know the saying, ‘they know when you are sleeping and they know when you’re awake.’” 

“They?” 

The stall holder turned to the man who’d been sitting a little way behind her, “Terri, you knock some sense into her. I’m going on my break.” 

The man, Terri, seemed excited to be noticed, “The saying refers to the ancestors but we all know the government is the one doing the monitoring. If you’re awake, you’re productive, that’s how they like it. Light Day is just a distraction to keep us upbeat. Mind you, don’t go telling anyone I said that. Best you keep quiet now, kid, and remember to keep your eyes open.” 

“Happy Light Day,” he called after her, fake smile plastered on his face, as Clara wandered away. 

She didn’t pause at anymore of the stalls and instead continued her search for the Doctor. Logically, she knew he wouldn’t be back at the TARDIS but she decided it would be easier to find. At least the TARDIS didn’t move as much as the Doctor did. Besides, she’d rather wait in the time machine than stay in the stalls any longer. The lights illuminating from them were making her eyes burn. They might as well have been made from the sun. 

She’d already sort of lost her way but she decided to turn around and try and reach the candle stall again. The gate was near there, she thought. And then all she had to do was wander through vast fields until she found the ship. 

When she’d only just begun walking, though, and had managed to pass maybe four stalls, the busy crowds parted to make way for some men. They both had weapons and were dressed in heavy, armoured jackets. Clara guessed they were the authority of the planet. She stepped aside to let them pass but found they didn’t. Instead, they looked at each other and then at Clara. 

“Miss, have you got a name?” asked the armed man. Clara was starting to sweat now. 

“Uh, Clara.” 

“I haven’t got a record of a Clara living here.” 

“Do you really know everyone who lives here?” she retaliated. 

“We need to speak with you. If you would follow us to the station, that would be appreciated.” 

Clara cocked her head, “Station? I haven’t done anything wrong.” 

The second man steadied himself, as if he were expecting her to run, “We will discuss more at the station, but we’ve had a tip-off that you’re advocating for sleep. We can’t have you in the streets on Light Day.” 

“How about I just go home? I’ve been trying to go home for ages, actually, but I’ve lost my friend and he’s my ride. So, I’ll go find him and then leave, yeah?” Clara tried. 

She gulped when both men put a hand to their belt, where what looked like tasers rested, “Come with us.” 

Clara found herself obeying this time and nodded. The two men fell at her side, each too close for her liking, and led her back through the stall holders. She caught a glimpse of the man and woman she’d been talking to earlier and they avoided her eyes completely. Clara really hoped she’d find the Doctor as she was marched away but realised, he was most likely half-way through an adventure of his own. 

As they approached the station, the two men walked closer to her. She supposed she should be grateful that they weren’t hand-cuffing her. At least she wasn’t a criminal, not yet anyway. The building looked like a police station on Earth except the front of it was absolutely covered in fairy lights. It was an assault on her eyes and she covered them with one hand. 

Once inside, she was marched right past the reception desk and past a series of closed offices. The one on the end of the corridor had its door wide open, light streaming from the inside. The men stopped her outside this office room. 

“Head inside, she’s expecting you,” said the first one. 

“Who’s she?” 

“None of your concern. Get…in.” 

She looked at them sceptically but did as they said. 

Walking inside, she found it was exactly like an Earth office for someone important. There was a desk in one corner with a very important looking woman sat behind it. Her hair was greyed and pulled back into a smart bun. Her face was stern and reminded Clara of a head mistress or judge. 

“Close the door on your way in,” said the woman. Clara did as she was told. 

There was a chair opposite the woman so Clara assumed it was for her. Brushing down her skirt, she took a seat. The woman was taking in every inch of Clara with an upturned nose and narrowed eyes. 

“Clara wasn’t it?” she asked. Clara nodded. 

“Who are you?” 

“My name is Venus. I’m the chief around here. I look after the towns and watch the borders for any newcomers like yourself.” 

“Right.” 

“I’m sure you know why you’re here. There was some suspicion in the market earlier that you were a sleep activist. Some stall holders were worried that you were there to tamper with the affair.” 

“I was just passing through,” Clara said, honestly. 

The woman shook her head, “People don’t just pass through on a day like today.” 

“I’m not from around here.” 

“I gathered. What are you? You might as well tell me, it’s less painful than our DNA tests.” 

“Human.” 

“You’re a long way from home, hmm?” 

Clara shuffled awkwardly on her seat, “I told your friends…I just want to go home. My friend has our, uh, keys. I just need to find him and then we’ll both be on our way.” 

“Yes, we have people looking for your friend. Now, you’ve got to understand, we can’t let your kind out tonight. We don’t have visitors here and there’s a reason for it. We can’t have you putting ideas into our citizens’ heads. We have a very strict system here and we don’t need you ruining it with ideas or rebellion.” 

Clara swung forward on her chair, knotting her hands together and placing them on the desk in front of her. It was her time to scrutinise the woman. 

“Why is it so important that they stay awake tonight? You wouldn’t be going this far for superstition.” 

The woman laughed abruptly, “I’m asking the questions. But you might as well know. There’s an energy that comes from a yearly solstice. It feeds our citizens and keeps them obedient. With energy like this, directly from celestial beings, they can work for weeks without any sleep. But they have to see the sky for themselves. We organise festivities to keep them outside and awake.” 

“All for what? Seems pointless just for a few hours work.” 

“We’re not fuelling builders or teachers,” scoffed the woman, “our planet has the most dangerous army in the solar system.” 

Clara threw her hands up, “Of course, war! It’s always war!” 

“The problem is, though, that the solstice is controlled by aliens far beyond our understanding. They believe if someone sleeps, their dreams will interrupt the process. So, you and your friend will stay here for a few days. You will stay awake. And then, we will get rid of you. Our planet violates space laws, and we can’t have anyone knowing what we do.” 

“You can’t keep me here,” laughed Clara.

The woman smiled and pressed a finger to her ear, “Jacks, will you come and take Clara to Room One, please.” 

Quicker than she’d ever run before, Clara leapt from her chair and sprinted for the door. She’d shut it herself, so she knew it wasn’t locked. She reached for the handle and threw it open. The corridors ahead were clear but no one could’ve stopped her anyway. That was, until she’d cleared the corridors and been surrounded by the reception desk. 

Rough arms grabbed at her body while she was still running for her life, pulling her down to the floor with a thud. If the running hadn’t knocked the wind out of her, the fall definitely did. She sat on the floor, undignified and breathing heavily, as one of the guards held her arm. He lifted her up with very little effort, earning a yelp from Clara as her arm was twisted back. She dug her heels into the floor but it was made of wood so she was pretty easy to drag. She screamed the Doctor’s name as she passed the front door, earning herself some stares from passers-by, but he didn’t come to her rescue. 

Clara was taken to ‘Room One’, which was a glorified prison cell. The walls and floor were made from concrete and the room was definitely below freezing. She really wished she’d put on warmer tights. As expected, the room didn’t come with a bed. In fact, the tiny room didn’t come with anything except a toilet. She noticed it had spikes all over it to prevent her from sitting on it. 

“This whole place is sick,” Clara snarled, her words echoing all around her. 

“Now, now. Best get used to it.” 

Clara spun around to see the guards had left her and the woman from earlier stood in their place. 

“So, what, I’m just supposed to sit here?” spat Clara 

“We’d rather you stand.” 

“And how are you going to know if I sleep or not? Can’t be that hard to sleep standing up,” she argued, feeling more stubborn than ever before. 

“I’m so glad you asked,” said the woman, “these are usually given out to naughty children. A lower voltage of course, we aren’t evil.” 

Now Clara was starting to panic. In the woman’s hand she held variously shaped pads in her hands. In her pocket, above her taser, Clara saw a remote. 

“W-what’s that?” 

“Electricity to jolt you awake. We simply put these on your body and a dedicated guard will watch you through the door. Any time you shut your eyes you’ll get shocked.” 

“That’s barbaric.” 

“It’s necessary.” 

The woman walked closer to Clara and she darted across the room. Her captor sighed like all of this was nothing more than an inconvenience. 

“Come here. We have more powerful weapons, you know.” 

Clara walked over, knowing she didn’t want to die on some planet she couldn’t even remember the name of on Christmas Eve. At least if she let herself be the damsel in distress just this once, the Doctor could get her out of this mess. He was probably looking for her now. 

She was drawn from her thoughts when the woman lifted heavy chains from below her feet and searched along them for the shackles. She opened them up and trapped Clara’s hands inside them. The woman did them up so tightly that Clara was instantly worried about her circulation. She tugged at the chains, finding them very solidly attached to the walls. The shackles trapped her skin and she hissed in pain. Then, her worries turned to something else. 

The woman was peeling plastic from the electric pads in her hand. She rolled up the sleeve of Clara’s green jumper. The first pad was attached her forearm and then another was placed on the opposite one. Clara really began to sweat when a pad was placed on both of her temples. She took her opportunity to look the woman in the eyes before she turned around. 

“Please, you don’t want to do this.” 

The woman locked eyes with Clara, “I’m indifferent. You are not more important than my civilisation.”

She walked out of the room without a second glance. Before she closed the cell door, she handed a guard the remote from her pocket. There had been a window in the door that had been previously hidden. Now, it gave the guard full view of her. The woman also made a show of handing the cell key to him. Clara knew exactly what she was doing. It was a threat. She was saying that, if Clara resisted and the electric shocks weren’t enough, the guard had permission to go into her cell. And if he did, she was shackled and completely at his mercy. She shuddered. Still, it didn’t stop her from trying to subtly wriggle out of the shackles. She really wasn’t sure what she’d do if she’d managed to escape, but she felt stupid and useless just standing there. Each twist made her wrists burn and sting. It didn’t take long at all for her to give up. 

She tried every now and again, but finally called it a day when the stinging in her hands got too much. Clara looked down to one hand when she felt something sticking to her skin. Underneath the metal around her wrists, a droplet of blood was running down her arm. It pooled under where her sleeve had been pushed up before soaking into the fabric. The sight of the blood somehow made it hurt more. 

Clara had examined every possible exit of the room. There was nothing more than the speaker in which the guard could talk to her, a toilet and darkness. That meant she was being listened to and she didn’t have anything she could fashion into a weapon. Pacing to stop the pins and needles, she wondered what the Doctor would do in her situation. Of course, it wasn’t really fair that he had a sonic screwdriver. She would call that cheating. Talking clearly hadn’t worked and she had no TARDIS at her beck and call. 

When her inner monologue had found its way out of her mouth and echoing around the room, the guard grew irritated. Clara hadn’t noticed. She managed to talk her way through one more failed escape plan before the guard drew the remote from his pocket. 

The sensation began as pins and needles, which Clara had been trying to avoid anyway. It wasn’t that bad in her arms, nothing more than an irritation, but her head was already throbbing. By the time the volts strengthened and went from the remote to Clara’s body, the pain hit her hard. It felt like being poked by one hundred burning needles. Her head went blank, everything turning to white noise, as her body tried to fight the electric invasion. She held onto the wall, biting her lip so hard that she drew blood. By the time her gasps had turned to a strangled plea, the pain had stopped. It was almost impossible for her to regulate her breathing again and she wondered if this was how it felt to have a heart attack. 

“Good to know it works,” the guard laughed, “that wasn’t even the worst setting. You get the picture; keep quiet and that won’t happen again.” 

It had gotten to the point where she could hardly keep herself upright. Her body was reeling from what just happened. She didn’t care about the threats anymore, she just had to sit down. Clara gripped the wall and supported her weight as she slid to the floor, catching the attention of the guard. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” he snarled.

“I’m just sitting down,” she called out, her voice hoarse, “if I don’t rest my legs then they’ll collapse.” 

“Fine,” the guard huffed. 

“That’s so kind,” she muttered to herself. 

Somehow, the concrete floor was even worse than standing up. The ache in her legs was fading but she was growing colder by the second. The room kept in no heat at all. Clara had a horrible image in her head of the next few hours. She’d sit down until the cold became unbearable and then she’d stand until standing became unbearable. She wanted to cry.


	2. Clara Oswald (Whouffle): Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trapped in a cell not allowed to sleep, Clara knows she's running out of time as she waits for the Doctor to find her.

The night came sooner than Clara had been expecting. She’d expected the evening to drag because of her ordeal, but found it grew dark quickly. It didn’t take long for her to realise that the night came soon because she’d been day-dreaming for hours. It was the closest thing she had to sleep. She wondered why she was so tired when she’d only been sitting in the cell for a few hours. 

“Red?” she called out weakly. 

“Red left ages ago,” came the guard’s voice from the other side of the cell, “it’s Kai again now.” 

“Kai,” Clara repeated. How did she know all their names? Why did they sound so familiar to her?

“What do you want Clara?” asked Kai, irritated. 

“How long have I been in here for?” 

Kai sighed, “Red said you’d ask that. About 24 hours now.” 

“What?” she gasped, sitting up straight, “it-it can’t be. I’ve only just got here.” 

“I think you’ve had one too many shocks to the head. I’ll radio Venus and tell her you might need a doctor.” 

Clara leaned her head back against the wall. Kai’s voice disappeared in her head, even though she was sure he was still talking. The cold walls were making her body tremble even more than before but at least it took some weight from her shoulders. Her hair, greased and tangled, fell in front of her face. How could it have been 24 hours? How had time started to pass so strangely? More importantly, why wasn’t she more tired? 

When her eyes fluttered shut, embracing the welcoming lull of sleep, she remembered why she wasn’t more tired. A shriek escaped her lungs and flew from her chapped lips when the horribly familiar bolt of electricity shocked her tired body. It pulsed through her head and she tried so hard to reach her burning head with her hands but the shackles wouldn’t reach. Kai, who for some reason seemed fond of her, didn’t let the electric shock go on for too long. 

She was sitting bolt upright now, her body shaking and eyes wider than ever before. The pain had stopped but the after-effects were still there and she found for consciousness. She knew she couldn’t pass out. If they didn’t like her closing her eyes, God knows what they’d do to her if she was unconscious. She rocked backwards and forwards, muttering to herself to distract her from the pain she felt from the tips of her fingers to her toenails. 

“That hurt,” she gasped. 

“You’ll have a check-up soon,” reassured Kai. 

“Venus won’t come check on me,” Clara said, though it took her a while because of her heavy breathing, “she’ll kill me as soon as she wants to.” 

“She doesn’t do that, Clara, she won’t treat you terribly. She’s just teaching you a lesson.” 

Right, though Clara. She forgot how tyrants always had the power of manipulation on their side. She wiped stray tears from her eyes and turned away from the glass door. She couldn’t turn far enough that Kai wouldn’t be able to tell if she was sleeping or not, she’d learned that the hard way. That had been one of the harshest shocks she’d received yet. They didn’t like her being clever. 

She stretched out her legs in front of her now that they’d gone completely dead. They didn’t have the strength in them to let her stand, which she wanted to do so desperately, so instead she moved them around whenever she remembered to in hopes she wouldn’t lose feeling in them forever. 

“You could always tell me more about Christmas, if you’re struggling,” offered Kai. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Last time, when you were barely hanging on, you started telling me about the traditions on your planet. I want to know more about stockings. Why put gifts in a sock?” 

“I was telling you about Christmas?” 

“Yeah, a few hours ago. I still don’t really know what it is.” 

“I’m too tired,” murmured Clara, pulling her knees up to keep herself warm. She hugged them close. 

“Stay awake, Clara, you know the rules.” 

“I can’t.” 

He didn’t talk to her anymore. Neither did the next guard, or the one after that. She had no concept of time anymore but she was aware of at least five more electric shocks. She was sure there’d been more, but those are the ones that were bad enough for her to remember. 

She sobbed for a while, completely overwhelmed by fatigue, but that didn’t last long. Eventually even crying became too much effort. She knew she had to conserve some energy if she was going to make it through the night. Or the day. Whatever it was. 

By now, she couldn’t even move. Each of her limbs felt heavier than anything on Earth. She tried not to think about how heavy her eyelids felt. When she’d managed to fully pry them open, she swore she saw a string of fairy lights above the cell door. They weren’t fully in focus, but she was sure they were there. It looked like light reflected in water or the blur of streetlights when you were driving at night. They really did look pretty. She wanted to reach out to them to see if they were real, but her hands wouldn’t corporate. Instead, she just stared at them with unblinking eyes. 

She was startled out of her hallucinations when she heard footsteps outside. She was hoping Red would be taking over. She liked him. How long had it been since she’d seen Kai? He was always the kindest to her. The glass window seemed too far away for her to be able to look out of. She couldn’t even be sure if it was really there. The faces that normally stared at her from the outside weren’t there anymore. Everything was so blurred now. 

She panicked when someone reached for the door handle. No one ever did that. Were they checking that she was locked in? Even if the door had been wide open, her legs wouldn’t carry her anywhere. Then, to add to her fear, a buzzing noise came from the other side and the door swung open. The person on the other side was barely more than a shadowy figure to Clara, so she decided it was best to shrink away from them. Whoever it was would be a threat. 

Clara blinked rapidly to show whoever had walked into her cell that she was still awake. She strained to see who it was but found she had no idea since they were being too quiet. Normally Venus liked to make a loud entrance to scare her awake. Not that her eyes had much vision left in them anyway. She did find something unusual. The guard had stepped into the cell and slowly made their way over to Clara. They crouched down by her and she flinched away. This was it, wasn’t it? There was no other reason for someone to get this close to her. They’d all been told not to interfere. 

Her mind had been foggy, but she finally realised what it meant when Kai had explained she’d been there for 24 hours. Now, she had a little bit of leverage. Would the guards, or more importantly Venus, kill her on a day like this?

“It’s Christmas,” said Clara. 

Though the room was dark, her eyes still found beads of colourful light that danced across her vision. She now knew that they weren’t really there, but it was still the closest thing to festivities she was going to experience before she died. 

“Christmas was days ago, Clara.” 

This confused her. She looked up at the guard who was kneeling in front of her. The light in her eyes was much brighter than his face, but she still swore she found some sort of emotion on it that had definitely not been there before. 

“I thought you didn’t know what Christmas was?” she asked. 

“Of course I know,” the guard spoke so softly it was almost sweet, like he’d been trying to lure her to sleep. His voice was like a lullaby, and that made her suspicious. 

“It won’t work,” she said, “I’m awake now.” 

“Sleep, Clara,” murmured the voice. She’d lost the image of him now, like the lights behind her eyes had dimmed. 

“I can’t,” she said matter-of-factly, “if I close my eyes, you’ll zap me again. If I get zapped again, I’ll fall unconscious. And then I know you’ll kill me. That doesn’t sound like the worst thing in the world right now, but I want to live.” 

The next thing that happened made Clara panic more than all of the threats that had been made against her before. Hands reached over to her but, instead of curling around her neck as she’d expected them to, they cupped her face. She knew her face was cold with fatigue when the warmth of the guard’s hands felt like heaven. She found herself leaning into them, putting trust into this man like she’d never done before. Every second he was in the room he could’ve killed her, but he didn’t. 

“You’re so brave,” the guard cooed, “so, so brave. And I’m so sorry.” 

“It’s okay,” she whispered, “I’m getting tired now. Best to kill me anyway.” 

“Oh Clara,” he said, “I’m not killing you. I’m taking you home.” 

His hands took the weight from her head, which was growing heavier with each minute she fought off sleep. It cured her body of some of the aches it had developed and she sighed in relief. She tried to reach up to grab his arms with her hands, making sure he stayed there. She was reminded of the shackled when she stretched them. The sharp metal dug into her wrists which were already marred by the previous escape attempts. The shoot of pain was like a shot of adrenaline and she gasped out of her delirium. 

“Please, be careful,” said the guard, who sounded like he was choking back emotion. 

“Doctor?” asked Clara, who’s voice also wavered. 

The face in front of her swirled and twisted until it wasn’t the face of an alien prison guard at all. Now, it had become the terrified, familiar face of the Time Lord she’d been wishing for all this time. 

“You didn’t know it was me?” he asked, the realisation hitting him like a tonne of bricks. 

“Can I sleep now?” she answered his question with her own question. She’d long since forgotten what it had felt like to be scared. She could barely feel anything at all now. 

“You can.” 

His hands left her face and she found her head plummeting down to her chest. She didn’t have the strength to lift it anymore. She tried so hard to shut her eyes but they stung so harshly that she wasn’t sure if, once they were closed, she’d be able to open them again. With half-lidded eyes, she watched as the Doctor took his screwdriver in shaking hands. It didn’t take him long to make the shackles fall to the ground with a satisfying crash. 

Her hands didn’t have the energy to hold themselves up, but the Doctor caught them in his own before they had a chance to fall with the shackles. He kissed her knuckles with ferocity. 

“You scared me,” he said, “I’ve been looking for you since Christmas Eve.”

“I’ve been on my own adventure,” she said with a weak laugh. 

With tightly-drawn lips, the Doctor felt for Clara’s arms. He pulled off the first electric pad, causing a wince from Clara. He apologised, rubbing one arm as he pulled off the second. Now, he was able to roll down her sleeves and give her just a tiny bit more warmth that she desperately needed. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, reaching for her head again, “this will hurt more.” 

He reached for the next electric pad. He trembled as if his hands could feel the severe electricity that had been passed through it. He lifted the edge of the pad but knew it was better to rip it off. He did and flinched when Clara cried out. The second pad was slightly easier. His heart sank when he saw the raw red marks left by them on her head. There was no relief when he threw the pads across the room, wishing he could destroy them instead. 

The Doctor placed his screwdriver against her forehead, the heat of the metal tempting her again to close her eyes. 

“Sleep deprivation psychosis, but nothing you won’t recover from. I don’t want to give you any patches or pills, you need some good natural sleep. Why don’t you close your eyes and when you open them, you’ll be safe,” he spoke to her like she was a child. 

She was growing more exhausted by the second. The Doctor must’ve noticed because he put his screwdriver away with haste. With a breath, he placed one arm underneath her legs. His body started trembling with her own now they were much closer together. The other arm supported her torso as he swept her into his arms and pushed himself to his feet. She was basically dead-weight at this point but he shuffled her until she was comfortable and made his way out of the prison cell he could barely stand to look at. 

Her head fell comfortably onto his chest. The rapid heartbeats soothed her as she watched them leave behind the hell she’d been trapped in for days. She felt the Doctor humming as he gently stroked her, obviously trying to make her calm enough to sleep. Her eyes were finally unbearably heavy, but they took a moment to look up at him. He pulled her closer and she found her shivers subsided. 

“Thanks for saving me,” she said, though her words barely formed correctly. They were so slurred she hadn’t been sure he’d even understand her. 

“I won’t lose you again,” he said, though it was mostly to himself. 

Her brain wasn’t functioning well enough for her to consider what he meant by that. Instead, she felt the blink of her eyes growing slower and slower. It wasn’t long before they shut properly. They flew open one more time, subconsciously waiting for a shock or kick or slap. She knew when the Doctor muttered words of comfort to her that these things weren’t coming. He must’ve felt her tense. Finally confident that she was safe and no longer hallucinating, she closed her eyes again with a powerful yawn. Sleep claimed her like a wave hitting her at the beach that was twice her size. It was seconds before the darkness pulled her in deeper and she lost the last thread of consciousness. 

The disorder of her mind meant she couldn’t sleep for long. When she opened her eyes, however, she found she was in her bedroom, so she must’ve slept for some time at least. 

Now fully conscious, the shock of what had happened began to sink in. She pulled herself to a sitting position. She still didn’t have the strength to get out of bed, so instead she just checked her surroundings to make sure she was still safe. Her bedside table caught her eye. 

She found a small Christmas tree sitting on top of a stack of her books. Fairy lights twisted around each branch and small, random ornaments decorated the tree. The lights weren’t on, since Clara needed the darkness to sleep, but batteries rested beside the tree. Under them, Clara found a post-it note. When she reached out for it, she found her wrists were carefully bandaged. 

It read: ‘Light therapy is good for sleep deprivation. I’m sorry, I went a bit overboard. Especially in your kitchen. Also, I felt bad that you missed Christmas. Don’t worry, we can always visit a Christmas planet when you’re better. Sleep well Clara Oswald, I’ll be outside when you’re awake.’ 

Clara couldn’t be sure how long she’d been asleep for. The clock beside her bed told her it was the middle of the night, but she hadn’t been conscious when the Doctor had brought her home so she hadn’t known the time. She doubted she would’ve been coherent enough to read the time anyway. With the Doctor’s promise that he was outside, Clara decided to clamber out of bed and ask him to fill in the blanks. 

She lifted one still heavy leg over the bed and brought the other to follow. Climbing out from under the blankets reminded her of how cold she’d been for days. She was still in her uninsulated, blood-stained jumper too. 

Taking a deep breath, Clara managed to pull herself to her feet and hop out of bed. The Doctor had put socks on her feet, she noticed, they must’ve been freezing. She took one step before the wind was knocked out of her. Her legs hadn’t been used to walking and buckled immediately, sending her crashing to the floor. She cried out in a panic as her knees made contact with the carpet. 

Her bedroom door flew open in a flurry and the Doctor fell through the door frame. He was by her side in a second, checking her over with the screwdriver. She looked at him with bleary eyes. 

“Oh,” said Clara in surprise, “I didn’t realise you meant literally outside.” 

“Well, I was worried something like this might happen,” he shrugged. 

Clara was easy for him to lift but she was stubborn, so in the end she managed to stand up on her own. He still kept his hand on her arm to support her, though, since she still looked very pale. 

“How are you feeling?” he asked nervously. 

“Tired,” yawned Clara. 

“It could take days for you to recover fully. You should sleep as much as you can, probably best to nap and try to get your sleeping pattern back to normal.” 

Clara gulped, “Can you tell me what happened?” 

“You don’t remember?” 

“Sort of. It’s a blur. How did you find me?” 

The Doctor looked angry, “I knew everyone knew where you were because everyone was talking about it. ‘The sleep activist who got taken away by the guards after scaring the kids’. But no one would talk to me since the guards were out to get me too. I scanned for you and everything but nothing worked. In the end I just did exactly what you did until the guards brought me in. Then I snuck out and found you. The TARDIS even parked right outside without me telling her to. You’re growing on her.” 

“Am I okay, then?” 

His expression softened, “Mostly. You’ve got burns on your head and arms, few bruises and obvious exhaustion. You were dehydrated but I sorted that out myself. Your wrists are quite bad but I didn’t want to heal them while you were unconscious. It’s quite invasive.”

“Thank you,” Clara whispered. 

“What’s bothering you?” asked the Doctor, his eyes wide with sweet, child-like worry. 

There was a pause before Clara said anything. She wasn’t even sure how to tell him. It seemed so stupid, so fragile…so human. She wondered if he’d just laugh at her. Even just thinking it made her feel like a toddler. 

“I don’t think I can sleep again.”

“Nightmares?” 

“Every time I close my eyes, my brain tells me to open them again. It’s like I can still feel the shocks,” said Clara, looking down to the burns on her arms. She knew there must be some on her forehead too, she could feel the sting, but she hadn’t dared to look in the mirror yet. 

“I can stay with you, if you’d like?” The Doctor stared at the floor, a blush on his cheeks. 

Clara smiled, “I’d like that.” 

The Doctor clapped his hands, “Right, back to bed with you then! No walking around for a while.” 

She climbed back into her bed, enjoying the warmth of her duvet and blankets. The Doctor was awkward at first but found a spot at the foot of her bed. He placed his hand on her leg, stroking it subconsciously. Clara’s head hit the pillow but she stared at the Doctor instead of closing her eyes. He made her feel safe. 

“I could tell you a story. It’s my favourite, bit sad though. I’ll leave out the sad parts. It’s about a man and a woman in Victorian London trying to save Christmas,” he suggested. 

“Sounds like us,” Clara gave him a sleepy smile. 

“It does, doesn’t it?”


End file.
